Complexion
by lemonsmania
Summary: Peter discovers a problem with growing up a second time. Written for AlwaysABrandNewDay's writing challenge.


**Hello everyone! This oneshot was written as an entry for AlwaysABrandNewDay's contest. This was prompt #7, complexion. I hope you enjoy it, and please review!**

It was several months after the Pevensies had returned from Narnia, and they were still living with the Professor. It was early morning when Susan and Lucy awoke to the sound of a dejected groan. They looked at each other and then scrambled out of bed and hurried to the boys' room, which was next to theirs. Susan opened the door, and found Edmund lying in bed, his hair sticking out in every direction. Susan turned to Lucy.

"It always was like him to sleep through a storm." She then began to lightly shake his shoulders. "Edmund, Edmund, wake up!" He opened one eye lazily.

"Whaaat? I'm trying to sleep; you kept me up last night with the radio."

"Edmund, where's Peter?" asked Susan. He glanced over at Peter's empty bed, then shrugged.

"I dunno…maybe he's in…the bathroom." He yawned, and turned over sleepily.

"Edmund, get up!" Susan exclaimed. When there was no response, Lucy promptly shoved him off the bed. Susan's eyes widened.

"Lucy!" Lucy shrugged.

"You and I both know he wasn't getting up any other way. It's not as if I hurt him." Edmund looked up from the floor.

"Actually, you did!"

"Oh. Sorry!" Lucy knelt down next to Edmund, who was rubbing his head. "Are you all right? I really didn't mean to-" Lucy was cut off by another loud moan. The three siblings ran out of the room to the bathroom down the hall. Well, Lucy and Susan ran. Edmund shuffled along, yawning with every step he took. When they reached the bathroom, Susan went to open the door, only to find it locked.

"Peter, are you in there?" There was a pause, and then came the reply,

"Yes."

"Well are you decent? Would you mind opening up?" There was more silence, and then they could hear the click of the door. Susan opened it and the three children entered to find Peter standing in front of the mirror.

"Peter, what's the matter?" asked Lucy. He sighed, his shoulders heaving, and then turned around. Susan gasped, Lucy covered her hand with her mouth, and Edmund bit his tongue to keep from laughing. On Peter's cheek were three red blemishes. No one knew what to say. Eventually, Susan said,

"Peter, it's not all that bad." Peter glared at her.

"Easy for you to say! You've never had a pimple once in your entire life! I thought I was done with this in Narnia, but now we came back and it's started again! I don't want to go through puberty a second time!" Peter put his head in his hands hopelessly. Edmund began to laugh, which he really shouldn't have, considering in a couple of years he would be in the same situation. Lucy went up and gave Peter a hug.

"Oh Peter, it's alright. You still look just as handsome as you did before." Peter returned the hug.

"Thanks, Lu." Edmund started laughing even harder, and they all turned to him. "It's not _that_ funny Edmund," said Peter. Edmund began gasping for air.

"No…it's not…that...I just…remembered…Princess Aurelia!" Peter groaned and the girls smiled. Aurelia was the daughter of the ruler of Terebinthia, and despite being six years younger than him, she was infatuated with Peter. He had done his best to refuse her politely, but she visited whenever a boat was traveling there, and was always trying to attract Peter. Edmund, who was still laughing hysterically, asked, "Do you…remember…her main…compliment?" And suddenly, they did. Susan and Lucy began to laugh too, and even Peter gave a small smile.

"Oh, High King Peter!" said Lucy, in a dramatic voice. "What a _fine_ complexion you have! Why, your skin is as clear as the Northern Sky! I have never _seen_ such a complexion! Aslan _himself_ must have blessed you with it!" Peter grimaced at the spot-on imitation, and his three siblings began to laugh. They laughed so hard, in fact, that Ivy, (who if you recall was one of the maids), came running into the bathroom.

"Children, what's the matter? Are you-" she trailed off when she saw Peter. "Oh, Peter, no need to worry. It just means you're growing up. And you three," she said turning to the others, "ought to know better than to laugh at your brother. Why, I'm sure when he's older he'll have a lovely complexion." At that all four Pevensie children began to laugh, and Ivy walked away wondering what on earth could be so funny.


End file.
